The Hunger Games seems to be ruling our lives. The kids invited 16 teenagers to participate in the First Annual Camping Games. Here is the email they sent out with the rules with the rules.

“Hey guys! The “Camping Games” begins Thursday! I would say “happy hunger games” but I hate that phrase with every fiber of my being 😛 So yeah. For everyone coming, could you all bring either $2 or a drink and snack to share to help offset the price of food? It would be very much appreciated!

Hope to see you all Thursday! If you have any questions, feel free to ask~

Jacob

Q: Whoa, why am I getting this email?

A: Well, person reading these questions, you have been invited to a camp out with a special theme because you either stated you’d be interested or somebody said you’d be interested in doing it.

Q: Special theme?

A: Well, this isn’t just a normal camp out. Instead of just doing normal camp out things, we will be doing a fully fledged Hunger Games, minus the whole “kill and murder” aspect.

Q: Really? Sounds awesome! When is it?

A: It shall be on June 21st. It will last from 4:00 pm until noon the next day. The place is the Cecil Home . Our house is sort of hard to see, but it is the one with the long driveway.

Q: So what do I need to bring?

A: Clothing wise, you need to wear comfortable long pants that you would go hiking in, and a shirt you wouldn’t mind getting messed up. Ankle supporting shoes are required! No converses, five fingers, crocs, or flip-flops unless you want to break an ankle. Our property has a lot of rough terrain, so dress accordingly. Tennis shoes or hiking boots are recommended. Of course, bring a change of clothes too 🙂

Q: Makes sense, man! Anything else I should bring?

A: Bring a sleeping bag, but if you forget don’t worry too much; we have extra. You are allowed to have a back pack to store things in during the games, so pack one of those. Food will be provided. Take any sort of medications if you need them, toothbrush and paste, and anything else you might need. Lastly, a light jacket might be nice, but isn’t required. Don’t worry if you forget any of these things; we’ll still let you come… just might make fun of you a bit 😛 Bring a charged cell phone so we can get in contact with you if the need arises!

Q: So tell me more about the Hunger Games event!

A: The Games will begin at 5:00pm, and will last until only one player is left! That means it may take one hour, may last until the next day before you leave. Don’t worry, if it doesn’t take too long, we’ll possibly do more than one. One important thing to know is, however, the game will not pause. That means that as long as you are still in, you are always playing. The only exception to that is if you have to use the restroom.

Q: Tell me more!

A: What is this, a bedtime story? But okay~ In the very beginning, you will be teamed up with one other person of the same gender. It is recommended that the two of you work together, but if you really want you can split up/stab each other in the back. After all, there still can only be one winner…

Q: Will there be a Cornucopia?

A: Yes, yes there will! Everyone will start around it, and it will be filled with supplies such as flashlights, Nerf weapons, energy bars and drinks, water, and other things of the like. If you feel brave enough, try to take some objects from it!

Q: How do I get out?

A: Everyone will have a flag attached to their waste, and if you lose that flag, you are out/dead.

Q: How do I lose my flag?

A: If someone takes your flag, you lose it. If you are hit with a Nerf weapon in the torso, you lose your flag. If you are shot with a Nerf gun in the head or torso, you lose your flag. So be careful!

Q: What if I’m not hit in the torso?

A: If you are hit in the HEAD (neck still counts!) with a Nerf weapon, it doesn’t count. If you are hit on any limb, you cannot use that limb for 20 seconds (this is going by the honor system, guys! Don’t be cruel) If you are shot in a limb with a dart, it does not count. For the benefit of everyone, NO GROIN SHOTS PLEASE 🙂

Q: Can I use the flags I take?

A: Yes! Take a flag for an extra life. Though a word of warning, flags only count if the are attached to your waist.

Q: Aww, what if I get out? I’ll be bored…

A: Not necessarily! If you are out, you can sponsor people, and the game maker might ship you back in as a “zombie” (our version of the mutations) On top of that, we have cards, board games, and a bunch of other things you can do. We may have a projector too, so you might be able to watch movies. Also, there is plenty of room to play flashlight tag or capture the flag.

Q: Zombies?

A: Yup! The game maker can send you in to take people’s flags! Get hit anywhere and you have to go back, though, and you can only come out when the Game Maker tells you!

Q: How does sponsoring work?

A: Well, when you are out, you are allowed to use “sponsor points” to “buy” people supplies. After buying something, you can take it to them, but you are not allowed to talk to the person you are sponsoring.

Q: Who’s the Game Maker?

A: Aaron is, so I’d be nice to him if I were you…

Q: In the books, if you win you get a life of luxury and riches…

A: We don’t have the money to do that, but there will be a price! I can’t tell you what it is, but I guarantee you’d want it~

Q: Wait, if this is going to be in your back yard, wouldn’t there not be a lot of room? Booorrriiing….

A: Hold your horses! We own over 15 acres of woods, plains, and everything in between. There are a few places that are restricted for safety reasons, but there is plenty of room to get totally lost. Adventure awaits!

Q: There better be adult supervision!

A: Whoa, Mr. and Mrs. Invitee’s Parents! Jim and Holly Cecil will supervise the whole time. Mrs. Cecil runs a school, so you can bet she’ll be able to keep an eye on a measly 12 or so kids…

Q: How will we know if someone is out?

A: Anytime someone gets out, we will fire a bottle rocket into the air. Likewise, if there is a feast (the cornucopia is restocked) we will ring a loud bell.

Q: What if I want to sleep?

A: At midnight, we will temporarily pause the games so that people can sleep. We will ring a bell for this. There will be a “safe zone” set up for anyone that is out, and that is where the sleeping will be done. Guys, you get a tent. Girls, lucky you, a cozy pop up camper will be there for you to sleep in. The game is unpaused at 7:00am, so be prepared if you are not out!

Q: And if I get hungry?

A: We’ll barbecue some hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner, so feel free to eat. People that are still in, though, watch your back… the games are still going on.”

Well, the games went off really well. We had one eye injury. My son took out his best friend. We had one sprained ankle. The participant hid it well. His mom didn’t figure it out until they got home. He had to leave early and was begging to stay longer. What a surprise she had when she got home. I have no idea how he didn’t limp and kept running through the briars!

We also had a bit of teenage angst. One of the boys tackled one of the girls in the heat of battle. This was deemed a foul, but it turned into a mess. The boy apologized, the girl didnt’ accept his apology…well you get the picture.

Once tempers settled down, they were off to fight again. All participants swear they had a great time and are ready to go again. I’m skeptical…I just don’t get how running through a bunch of thorns and beating each other with Nerf swords is the way to spend an evening.

Oh…and the food….the game master never let them eat. They ended up fighting over a ton of pop tarts and not eating the 3 lbs of hamburgers my husband diligently cooked for them. If there is a next time, there will be a meal time budgeted in. My DH is a bit bitter!

I will also say they really did “unpause the game” at 7:00 am! In fact, they were up and running by 5:30 am. Luckily, they burned out quickly and everyone was on their way home by noon.

The kids are ready to do it again….mom is looking for her coffee and very thankful they held this event last week!